New Zealand · Canterbury

M3.7 Earthquake near Hurunui District, Canterbury (New Zealand)

UTC time: 2026-01-06 18:51:55 UTC Local time: —

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About this earthquake

On January 6, 2026 at 18:51 UTC, a magnitude M3.7 earthquake occurred near Hurunui District, Canterbury (New Zealand). The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 20 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this magnitude are often felt but rarely cause damage.

The event was recorded by EMSC. New Zealand: 5 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M4.0.

Details

ID
c48836e5f2dc59588a0d93567d03e222bd1deced
Magnitude
M3.7
Depth
20.3 km
UTC time
2026-01-06 18:51:55 UTC
Local time
—
Country
State
Source
emsc
Coordinates
-42.97920, 172.45350
Temperature
20.4°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 20.3 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 20.3 km
Shallow
20.3 km
20.3 km — shallower than the regional average (70.9 km)
Regional average: 70.9 km
Why depth matters

Shallow quakes release energy near the surface — shaking is felt more strongly and damage potential is higher.

Depth classes per USGS

Volcanoes nearby

  • Distance: 431 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'518 m ·Last eruption: 1800 ·New Zealand
  • Distance: 487 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'797 m ·Last eruption: 2007 ·New Zealand

New Zealand

Context for this earthquake

05 Oct 2025 – 05 Oct 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 725 Catalogue entries

Sufficiently reliable matching data are not currently available for a direct comparison. The area profile shows the available records and their limitations.

Open seismic profile

Historic earthquake map · New Zealand

Explore recent and long-term earthquake activity in this country. Use filters to narrow down by magnitude, depth, and date range.

Country statistics · New Zealand

View earthquake KPIs, strongest and latest events, and averages for this country.

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